Extra! Extra! Your weekly LA 35mm film screenings paper appearing on social media newsstands today! (Includes some digital screenings.) I just watched Samuel Fuller’s Park Row (1952) last night, so I feel really newspapery today.
Side note, okay, shoot, I totally missed that
AFI Fest was going on. How the hell?! I don’t even know if stuff was 35mm, but
they were showing a healthy amount of classic movies, even if the point of such
a festival should really be new movies. Anyway, hopefully you saw what you
wanted. Somehow it wasn’t on the Egyptian’s Web site until I looked today,
after it ended.
This is just what's on my personal radar. You can browse the LA Film Calendars links on my side bar to find even more! → → →
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Sometimes these choices are tonight, FYI, and
not necessarily listed first.
Downtown
Independent
On the Beach at Night Alone (2017, Hong Sang-soo)
Tue.
Nov. 21 8:00 pm
Fri.
Nov. 24 8:00 pm
Where are today’s current auteurs, the
Fellinis, Antonionis and French New Wave directors of today? They’re here, in
the body of Hong Sang-soo, an amazing director. Okay there are others, but this
is a big director you really should be watching if you care about art cinema
anymore. My favorite film of his is The
Turning Gate, also known as On the
Occasion of Remembering the Turning Gate (what a great long title!), and he
also directed a nice one with Isabelle Huppert, In Another Country. Lead actress Kim Min-hee won the Silver Bear at
the Berlin International Film Festival this year for her performance. This is
his latest and looks like it’s appearing just twice here in LA. Screw the
foreign language film Oscars, this is what you should really be seeing. No idea
why actual art films are shunned at Oscar time. Go see the real shit.
(Presumably shot and screened digital.)
Academy
Amores Perros
(2000, Alejandro González Iñárritu)
Mon.
Nov. 20 7:30 pm
This is the film that put Alejandro
González Iñárritu on the map in the US, and he hasn’t looked back since (Birdman, The Revenant). This is well
worth seeing in 35mm on the big screen, especially because of its unique film processing.
While not the first, it’s a very prominent example of using the bleach-bypass
processing method to get that silvery desaturated look. More silver is
preserved in the processing of the film elements for what’s sometimes described
as a “black and white in color” look, like with the grain and grittiness of
black and white, but in color. It’s expensive due to the silver retention(!),
but creates this unique, gritty look. Plus it’s Rodrigo Prieto I almost failed
to mention, ha, the cinematography genius who after this collaboration has
D.P.’d some of the most famous recent Hollywood movies. I never loved this
movie entirely, however, as there’s good and bad things about Iñárritu’s
approach to cinema in general. He’s a bit more mainstream of a Hollywood auteur
than art film auteur, but I think this is a good screening to attend and
reevaluate. Especially in this ginormous
state-of-the-art theater at the Academy for only 5 bucks?!
UCLA
Film & TV Archive
Vengeance of the Phoenix Sisters (1968, Chen Hung-min)
and
Moon Fascinating, Bird Sweet (1978, Chen Yao-chi)
Sun.
Nov. 19 7:00 pm
Wow just based on these titles alone, let’s
go! The first is a swordplay film, described as having balletic editing. UCLA
goes so far as to say this period in Taiwan rivals Shaw Brothers films of the era,
but then I think we would have heard of them before now. However, the second
film is a very early Brigitte Lin (Chin-shia) film! I had no idea she had a
pre-Hong Kong career in Taiwan, and that it started this far back, man, 1978,
that’s a long time ago. Big fan of hers, so seeing her in her earlier phase in
Taiwanese films sounds like a can’t-miss very rare screening. This is not a
martial arts film, it’s a steamy melodrama. (Okay, maybe not steamy, I made
that up, but the screen grab looks kind of steamy.) You may know her from Chungking Express, The Bride with White
Hair, Dream Lovers (w/Chow Yun-Fat), Swordsman
II, (This screening DCP.)
New
Beverly
The Thin Man
(1934, W.S. Van Dyke)
and
Another Thin Man (1939, W.S. Van Dyke)
Sun.
Nov. 19 6:30 pm/8:30 pm
Mon.
Nov. 20 7:30 pm/9:30 pm
William Powell and Myrna Loy dazzle with chemistry
in this early sound-era classic from a Dashiell Hammett novel, with some of the
hard-boiled grit scrubbed off in favor of Hollywood sparkle. But still so worth
it! I haven’t seen the second one. Is it good? Well, you’re sitting there
anyway for a double feature. It’s the third film in the series. Both 35mm!
Egyptian
Theatre
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968, Stanley Kubrick) in 70mm!
Sun.
Nov. 19 7:30 pm
Wed.
Nov. 22 7:30 pm
Fri.
Nov. 24 7:30 pm
Sat.
Nov. 25 7:30 pm
What can I tell you, this plays all the
fricking time. But it was shot on 70mm and is being screened on 70mm. As opposed
to seeing some 35mm film blown up to 70mm, this is the real deal, and there’s a
big difference. So, if you haven’t seen it, really this is the ideal way! It
has some slowness to modern audiences in certain sections by taking too much
time showing off special effects that were brand-new at the time, and the
closed-off behaviors of the lead astronauts may seem a bit obtuse at times, but
by the end, you’ll be deep in thought contemplating the ideas it brings up on
such a wondrous journey, and in the thrall of A.I.'s biggest star of them all,
Hal 9000. Your only excuse not to go? If you have already seen it more than
once on 70mm, otherwise, you better go.
Autry
Museum (w/Los Angeles Film Forum)
Amérika Trilogy, part 2: Orinoko, Nueva
Mundo (1984, Diego Rísquez)
Sun. Nov. 19 4:00 pm
35mm screening! This
is an experimental film, part 1 of which (see prior week) was the first Super 8
film to be selected for the Directors Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival.
Part 2 also played Cannes but was never distributed in the US. This trilogy is
about the real and mythical histories of the Latin American continent. The film
is said to be surreal, a speechless vision of the history of Venezuela and the
Orinoco River basin before and after conquest. Appearing in some form are
historical figures such as Columbus, but through the eyes of the indigenous
peoples. This is a fascinating subject for me as I just read a whole book on
Trinidad’s entire history (just off the coast of Venezuela). Director Diego
Rísquez in person at these, a filmmaker from Venezuela. Sounds amazing! Part 1
already played. Part 3 is Nov. 20
at REDCAT at 8:30 pm.
REDCAT
(w/Los Angeles Film Forum)
Amérika Trilogy, part 3: Amérika, Terra
Incógnita (1988, Diego Rísquez)
Mon. Nov. 20 8:30 pm
Originally shot on
Super 16mm and blown up to 35mm. (Presented here on 35mm.) This is an
experimental film, part 1 of which (see above) was the first Super 8 film to be
selected for the Directors Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival. This trilogy
is about the real and mythical histories of the Latin American continent.
Sounds very interesting. Director Diego Rísquez in person at these, a filmmaker
from Venezuela. Part 1 already played last week. Part 2 is Nov. 19
at the Autry Museum at 4:00 pm.
Downtown
Independent
El Vampiro
(1957, Fernando Méndez)
and
Sombra verde
(1954, Roberto Gavaldón
Sat.
Nov. 18 7:30 pm
The first is a said to be a classic of
midcentury Mexican horror, but that’s not a thing on my radar, what is that?!
Anyway, it’s two people stranded at a train station at night, and boom, a
carriage offers to give them a ride and things will get bitey. Sounds like that
Coppola Dracula. In the second film,
we have Ricardo Montalbán returning to Mexico to make a film, whilst already a
major star in the US. It’s a bit of an erotic jungle adventure film, but sounds
interesting. (First film 35mm, second film DCP.)
New
Beverly
The War of the Gargantuans (1966, Ishiro Honda)
Sat.
Nov. 18 11:59 pm
It’s back! In case you missed it before. I
didn’t see it yet, so I don’t know, it seemed pretty popular if you like weird
giant monster cinema from the director of Godzilla.
This probably does go down better at midnight!
New
Beverly
His Kind of Woman! (1951, John Farrow)
and
Thunder Road
(1958, Arthur Ripley)
Tue.
Nov. 21 7:30 pm/10:00 pm
Wed.
Nov. 22 7:30 pm/10:00 pm
Get your Mitchum on with a double feature. My spidey
sense says these are not the all-time best Robert Mitchum films ever, but hey
you got Jane Russell, Vincent Price and Raymond Burr in the first film, plus
Mitchum sings the theme song in the second (see the trailer on the site link).
Given the dearth of old-timey films screening in 35mm, it could be worth going
and maybe fun.
NuArt
Theatre
Suspiria
(Extended) (1977, Dario Argento)
Fri.
(tonight) Nov. 17 11:59 pm
A 4k restoration. Extended version. Jessica
Harper is always awesome!
Echo Park Film Center
The
House is Black (1963, Forough Farrokhzad)
Sat. Nov. 18 8:00 pm
Iranian cinema has
been amazing since about the 1960s through today with such luminaries as Abbas
Kiarostami (recently deceased), Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Majid Majidi, and Samira
Makhmalbaf just to name a few of the best. Their fruitful forbears in the 1960s
influenced their more well-known ’90s followers and that is what this screening
is about. Some bridged the entire period, such as Dariush Mehrjui, who worked
from the ’60s through the ’90s, even to today. This short film here from 1963
is by a famed poet and is said to have heavily influenced the later cinema
figures. I’m a huge Iranian cinema enthusiast, especially of Abbas Kiarostami,
and somehow have not seen this film! (Screening format not disclosed, short
film 20 minutes.)
Coming Next Week
New Beverly
Prison
on Fire (1987, Ringo Lam)
and
Victim
(1999, Ringo Lam)
Tue. Nov. 28 7:30 pm/9:40 pm
I was a huge fan of
the Prison on Fire films and really almost
anything Chow Yun-Fat was in once I first came across him in the ’90s. Very interested
to see how this film has aged. It had a sequel, Prison on Fire II (1991), not showing here. But instead we have a
1999 Ringo Lam film, Victim, starring
a very awesome Hong Kong actor, Lau Ching-Wan. I can’t recall if I ever watched
this movie or not. A lot of post-handover Hong Kong films just weren’t as good
(the hand-over of sovereignty from the United Kingdom to China in 1997). The highly
endearing lower-budget attempts to exceed Hollywood excess just weren’t there
anymore and the films, perhaps unrelated to the handover, were trying to get
more respectable. See Crouching Tiger,
Hidden Dragon for more evidence. Anyway, so you’re seeing a gap bridged
here, the before and after. Prime excess ’80s Hong Kong awesomeness vs. ’90s
with the same director even. Although given that this is Grindhouse night, the
second film definitely shouldn’t be too respectable! See if you notice a
difference. And Chow Yun-Fat is the most charismatic actor in a generation, the
reincarnation of Cary Grant, definitely see that film!
New Beverly
West
Side Story (1961, Robert Wise, Jerome Robbins)
Sat. Nov. 25 11:59 pm
A midnight screening
of West Side Story?!? Methinks you
misjudge your audience for this film! But it’s a great, fun film. Well worth
seeing. Especially in 35mm.
Aero Theatre
Singing
in the Rain (1952, Gene Kelly, Stanley Donen)
Fri. Nov. 24 7:30 pm
Played recently, but
it’s back again. Oh, darn, it’s in DCP. Well, still great! Always enjoyed
seeing a musical on the big screen at the Aero.
Echo Park Film Center
Renaldo
and Clara (1978, Bob Dylan)
Sat. Nov. 25 8:00 pm
Four-hour-long film
directed by Bob Dylan, with some scenes written by Sam Shepard. Here it is
being shown on a VHS recording of a 4-hour broadcast. Hmm, well, depends how
badly you want to see this, although it is in a lovely friendly and communal
atmosphere. If it’s up your alley, definitely check this unique event out.
Note: Some of the
Aero screenings didn’t seem filled in past Nov. 24, so check their site for
more updated info.
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